


Let the Downpour Wash Everything Away

by Lohrendrell



Series: Raindrops and Waterfalls [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama, Falling In Love, Getting Together, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Character Death, Past Minato/Kushina, Romance, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-20
Updated: 2014-07-20
Packaged: 2018-02-09 15:02:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1987332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lohrendrell/pseuds/Lohrendrell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s not easy to recover from grief. After his brother’s death, Sasuke thought he’d never find the will to live again. Until, one day, as he walks in the park, he meets a crying boy and his grieving father.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let the Downpour Wash Everything Away

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written back in March/2014. Revised in July/2014.
> 
> There's something about the writing style of this fic that feels a little off to me, although I can't really tell _what_ exactly. Maybe my style changed a bit, maybe I'm just being grumpy. Still, I'm very attached to Sasuke, Minato and little Naruto in this particular universe, so revisiting this story was very pleasant. I'd love to read your thoughts on it as well.

The afternoon is cloudy, denouncing the downpour that is sure to come. The people crowding the park are already vanishing, coats and umbrellas in hand. Sasuke, however, goes to the opposite direction, uncaring if what's coming is a little drizzle or if the sky if about to fall on his head. In a way, it would be good if it happened. The sky falling. Perhaps the water could wash away everything that is wrong with the world, with him. Perhaps Itachi would be back, and the painful numbness he’s been feeling for the past months would be replaced by… something better.

Yeah. That would be nice.

Even after a year and a half, it’s still difficult to wrap his mind in the fact that Itachi passed away. His big brother hadn't just been the one to assume the role of a parent since Sasuke was seven, he was also his most precious friend.

Everything had just happened so fast. It’s like he can and at the same time can't remember what exactly happened on that day. There was a loud thump, then the world fell upside down. Blood stained the leather seats and somehow he knew, at that very moment, that whoever hit their car hadn’t survive the crash, and neither did Itachi.

Heavy rain starts to pour, hitting the trees with violence along with the harsh wind. The water drenching his body is cold, but even though he’s shuddering, it isn't unpleasant, and he stops for a minute to stare at the orange and red tinging the branches and the ground.

Autumn barely started and already the drying leaves are taking the life away from the trees. Sasuke was never a big fan of Autumn, but it was his brother’s favorite season. At least once a year, Itachi would go out of his way to drag Sasuke in a long walk in the foliage. “Even death can become something beautiful under nature’s touch,” he would answer when Sasuke petulantly asked what was so incredible in dead leaves anyway. “It never ceases to amaze me how nature provides simple and honest answers to the most complex and distressing questions.”

He scoffs at the imagined answer, much like he would do if it were happening right now. He never thought he would miss Itachi’s habit of giving puzzling and vague answers so much.

Shrugging the thought off, he goes back to his aimless walk, until he realizes the park wasn't as empty as he thought: there is a child curled under an oak tree a few meters from Sasuke. With arms hugging bent legs against his body and his face buried in his knees, he doesn't look older than six or seven. Even with all the noise of the rain, Sasuke can hear the boy’s whimpers and hiccoughs. His clothes and blond hair are drenched; it’s obvious he’s been there for a while.

He watches the boy for a few moments. Then, for some reason he can't and doesn't really care to fathom, slowly takes a few steps towards him.

“What are you doing here all alone?” The kid jumps at the question, probably because he hadn't heard Sasuke approaching. He snuffles loudly and cleans his face with dirty hands, but doesn't answer. Sasuke narrows his eyes and tries again. “Where is your mother?”

As if he'd just said the most offensive thing in the world, the kid looks up fiercely, big blue eyes piercing through him in a mix of what Sasuke recognizes as hurt and anger. “Dead.”

Sasuke’s eyes widen at the unexpected answer, but the surprise vanishes in seconds. “And your father?”

The boy’s gaze falls to his own knees and he shrugs. “I don’t care.”

Much like the boy’s eyes, the words were filled with hurt and anger, but Sasuke can see they didn't tell the whole truth. "How old are you?”

The boy looks up at him again, this time frowning in distrust. “I shouldn't speak with strangers.”

Sasuke arches an eyebrow. “You shouldn’t be crying all alone in the rain either.”

“Shut up! I wasn't crying,” he yells, his cheeks the same shade of red as his puffy eyes.

“Sure you weren’t.”

The boy huffs, then points to Sasuke accusingly. “Whatever, dimwit.”

“Is this the kind of language your father taught you?” Sasuke knows this is probably the worse thing he could say to a child that is clearly mourning, but apparently this boy responds better to taunts than to caresses.

“Is this the kind of face you mom gave you?” The boy yells again, but this time, instead of huffing and pointing, he buries his face back in his knees in an attempt to hide his watering eyes.

Sasuke was never really good with kids. They were Itachi’s specialty, who focused his entire career as a psychologist to treat the most problematic ones. Sometimes, when the child really needed it, he did it for free. Itachi used to say he was lucky to find his call early in life. He wouldn't be half the patient he was in his job if it weren't for raising his stubborn little brother.

As a book editor, Sasuke rarely had time to visit his brother at his office. But right now he remembers this one time he did it, and found Itachi sitting in the middle of the hall in front of a little boy who had his back to him.

“Itachi?” he had called, approaching them. Itachi lifted a finger to his lips, signaling for silence, then turned back to the boy, smiling.

“My name is Itachi and I’m thirty years old. I really like sweets and jigsaw puzzles. This is my younger brother, Sasuke. He doesn't like sweets very much, but sometimes we do puzzles together.”

With that, the small boy turned to gaze at Sasuke, then at Itachi. He looked torn between suspicion and curiosity, so Itachi proceeded to talk about this one jigsaw with a thousand pieces they had built together. Sasuke was ten, and he got mad at Itachi because it was unfair that he had to do almost all the work. Itachi just poked his forehead.

Soon Itachi had conquered the small boy’s attention and sympathy. “It was really big?”

Itachi chuckled. “It was really big. I was so proud of us that I hung it in my office. Would you like to see it?”

Nodding, the boy accepted Itachi’s hand. Sasuke had brought lunch, but had to wait an entire hour before Itachi’s session with the child ended. In the meantime, he sat down in the reception with the child’s mother, who had watched the whole scene and ended up confessing in tears that it was the first time she'd seen her son speaking to anyone in months.

Again, Sasuke reminds himself that he’s nowhere near good with kids as Itachi was. But there is something in this boy that reminds him of himself when he was seven, sad and angry, not really wanting to understand why Itachi of all people was sending him to school and controlling the curfew. So he decides to imitate what Itachi did a few years ago in his office.

He takes a deep breath and then starts: “My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I’m twenty-seven years old. I dislike sweets but I like tomatoes. My parents died when I was seven, and I lost my brother a year and a half ago.”

At that, the boy lifts his head. His big blue eyes, shining with unshed tears, once again pierce through him, as if trying to find a hint of lie.

So he continues, perhaps more for himself than for the kid’s attention. “Sometimes I feel really lonely, like I was abandoned by them. Sometimes I feel hurt, but unwilling to do anything about it. Sometimes I feel like I have no one to talk to, and then I just walk around because I don’t know what else I can do.”

Silence stretches between them for a long time, until the little blond finally says, “I’m sorry for your lost.” It doesn’t sound empty or fake, but it does sound mechanic, as if he’s repeating something he heard over and over again.

Sasuke decides to ignore it. “What is your name?”

“Naruto. I’m seven. I…”

He doesn’t finish whatever he was going to say. Sasuke has a pretty good idea of what it was, but doesn’t push the subject. “Can I sit with you, Naruto?”

Naruto nods, so Sasuke sits beside him under the oak tree. It’s still raining heavily. The tree isn’t much of a good hideout from the water, but it’s better than nothing. They sit side by side, silently, just watching the branches of the taller trees swinging with the force of the wind. Naruto has a bit of a problem to keep the crying down, and Sasuke hears him sniffing and hiccupping every once in a while.

Eventually, Naruto calls sheepishly, “Sir?”

“You can call me Sasuke.”

A hiccup. “Sasuke?”

“Yeah?”

“All that you said was true?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” A snuffle, then Naruto blows his nose in his own sleeve. Sasuke tries not to be disgusted by that. “Do you miss them?”

“Of course. More than anything in my life.” Sasuke isn’t the most honest person in the world, so his sincerity right now is surprising even him. But it doesn’t feel wrong or dangerous, like it usually does.

“Don’t you get mad at them? You know, like… sometimes? Just a little?”

Sasuke turns his gaze to Naruto, but the boy deviates his eyes, embarrassed, so he looks back at the trees. The rain is a bit softer now, but not by much.

“Sometimes, yes. Just a little. But then I remember how much I loved-- How much I still love all of them, and all that’s left is sadness. I just wish they were here with me.”

Naruto nods, as if understanding the depth of what he just said. Sasuke wants to ask if he feels the same, if he ever felt angry at his mom for abandoning him. But perhaps this is too much for a child he barely knows, and he isn’t a psychologist anyway.

Instead, he asks, even if he already knows the answer, “Did you come here all by yourself, Naruto?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t you think you should be going home by now? Someone must be worried about you.”

Naruto shrugs. “Dad was still working when I left.” He sneezes and, to Sasuke’s dismay, cleans it on his left sleeve again. “He probably didn’t even notice.”

“Well, you should at least take a warm bath and change clothes before getting a cold.”

Naruto thinks about it for a few moments, then gets up and extends his left hand for Sasuke. “Will you take me?”

Sasuke arches an eyebrow. “Didn’t you come here all by yourself? You can go back by yourself.” 

Naruto smiles cheekily. “A kid shouldn’t be walking all alone in the streets, right? You’re the adult, you should take me home.” His smile falters when Sasuke doesn’t answer right away. He pouts a little, his eyes watering again. “Please?”

Did a kid just gave him the puppy eyes? “Fine,” he relents, but takes Naruto’s right arm instead of the left. “It’s better that your home isn’t too far from here.”

“Don’t worry, it’s just a few blocks!” 

They stroll together under the drizzle to the exit of the park, and Sasuke discovers that Naruto in a lighter mood is a very talkative kid. He tells Sasuke about the collection of toys in his bedroom and invites him for a sleepover, then he talks about his school and how nice some kids are while others are mean. Naruto is part of the nice ones, so he usually fights the mean -- as in, fist fights and all.

“Sasuke, why you don’t like sweets?”

“Because I don’t.”

“Yeah, but why?”

Sasuke shrugs, a bit annoyed. He thought he was over this kind of interrogation after fourth grade. “It’s just something I dislike, like some people dislike pepper and others dislike pizza.”

“Yeah, but it’s sweets. Sweet is like, candy. Wait!” He turns goggled eyes upwards, unbelieving. “There are people that don’t like pizza?”

Sasuke chuckles at that, but is unable to respond because Naruto goes back into rambling mode the following second. Sasuke just listens, amused, but pays more attention to the path Naruto is taking him, into a nice neighborhood, resembling a lot the one Sasuke grew up in his hometown.

Suddenly, Naruto stops talking and walking altogether, startling Sasuke. He follows the child’s gaze to the other side of the street, where a tall blond man is leaning in a white fence, face buried in his hand much like Naruto was doing to his knees a while ago.

“Is that your father?”

Naruto nods, so Sasuke tugs him and they cross the street, walking slowly to the man. Naruto forces them to stop a couple of meters away from him, and they stay like that for a few minutes, just watching. The man is completely unaware of their presence until Naruto whispers, “Hi, Dad.”

The man startles. “Naruto!” He runs towards them and pulls Naruto up, hugging him tightly. “Thank God. Are you hurt?” He turns Naruto this and that way, as if checking for injuries, then kisses his cheeks repeatedly. “Oh, God. I was so worried. Don’t ever do this again.”

“It’s okay, Dad, Sasuke and I met at the park and then he brought me here!”

“Sasuke?” For the first time in the whole conversation, Naruto’s dad notices Sasuke watching their interaction. His first instinct is to hug Naruto tighter. At first sight, Sasuke thought the man was quite attractive, and for some reason his protectiveness of Naruto only increases his appeal.

“He’s my new friend!” Naruto tries to ease his father’s worry. “We are having a sleepover one of these days and I’m gonna show him all my foxes!”

Naruto’s father stares at Sasuke for a few moments, taking in the information. “Thank you for bringing Naruto back,” he says, then turns to Naruto, “but I don't think a sleepover will be possible, okay?”

“Why?” Naruto whines.

“Naruto.” The father looks at him serious, making Naruto’s whining stop instantly. “How many times have I told you not to talk to strangers?” He turns back to Sasuke. “No offense.”

Naruto eyes him for a few seconds, then eyes Sasuke, as if asking for backup. Realizing he’s not getting any, he gets angry and starts twitching and flailing until his father releases him from the grip. “At least I talk to someone!” he screams, running to a white and blue house three fences away.

His father sighs, watching as his son enters their home with a violent bang of the front door. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. Sasuke thinks he’s talking to him, but then the blond turns to him and repeats, a bit louder, “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to offend you or anything. I really appreciate what you did for my son, but these days, precaution is never enough.”

“I understand.”

He extends his hands, giving Sasuke probably one of the most beautiful smiles he’s ever seen. “I’m Minato Namikaze, Naruto’s dad. I’m sorry for anything he might have done or said. He’s been going through some rough times lately.”

“Sasuke Uchiha.” They shake hands, and Sasuke can’t help noticing how big, soft and warm Minato’s hand is, but immediately shrugs the thought off.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a small tantrum to take care of.”

He doesn't say it with venom or mirth, but the words make it sound like Minato is dismissing Naruto’s behavior as just a cry for attention instead of a way to express his pain. And that, honestly, pisses Sasuke off. He still remembers teachers and relatives telling Itachi the same bullshit when he had completely stopped talking to other kids in elementary school.

“You know,” he starts, preventing Minato from walking away. “It was raining heavily just a few minutes ago, and because of it Naruto and I are drenched. Your clothes and hair, however, are barely wet, as if you were just caught in the end of a drizzle.”

Minato’s eyes narrow slightly, his tone even more serious than what he used with Naruto. “Are you implying something?”

“I understand, Mr. Namikaze, that you worry about Naruto as any decent parent would, and I can’t imagine how desperate you might have felt. However, I wonder how long did it take for you to notice that your son had run away? I assure you, he wasn’t lost and knew exactly what he was doing. Please pay more attention to your child from now on.” Minato’s eyes widen, and he opens his mouth to say something, but Sasuke doesn’t give him the chance. “Oh, and for your information, Naruto was reluctant to talk to me at first. Your son pays more attention to what you say and do than you might realize.”

With that, he turns around and dashes off. His apartment is just a few blocks from there. He doesn’t have to look to know Minato’s expression is of complete shock.

~*~

Summing everything his parents and Itachi left him with his own work and investments, it’s safe to say that Sasuke won't have to worry about money for his entire life. Not just because of the wealth itself, but because Sasuke isn't the kind of person who spends money like there was no tomorrow (even if he does appreciate the occasional self-pampering in the form of expensive clothing or tech gadgets). He just wasn't raised that way.

His first job had been at a prestigious newspaper. It wasn't really what he wanted, so after gathering a few trusty colleagues, Sasuke quit the job in order to open his own small but prosperous publishing house. His first published book came out a few years ago, the first one in a prestigious non-fiction child psychology collection authored by Itachi Uchiha. Over the years, he and his team have found other gems and made a name for themselves, from fantasy to non-fiction to children’s literature.

Lately, however, Sasuke hasn't been feeling like going to work. Perhaps it’s his status going over his head, perhaps it’s just the depression keeping him from doing what he loves. All he knows is that he hasn’t been in the mood for book editing and publishing since Itachi died. In fact, even reading for pleasure has become a trying task, lately taking weeks, sometimes months, to finish a single book. The last book published under his name was a posthumous work by Itachi, a childish story about a boy and his dinosaur.

Itachi had been reluctant to let it be published, but Sasuke thought it was brilliant. He'd finally convinced Itachi to let him share his brilliance to the world a few days prior the accident. “On the condition of one last editing,” Itachi had said, and Sasuke had agreed.

Needless to say, it never happened. But Sasuke published the book anyway and, as expected, it was praised. It even received a small homage in a section of an important newspaper, but Sasuke was in the middle of his drinking problem at the time, so he sent Juugo in his place to conduct the interview.

Suddenly, Sasuke realizes he’s holding a package of cookies in his hands: Itachi’s favorites. He looks around, needing a few seconds to remember that he is in the supermarket, finally doing the grocery shopping he’d been delaying for a month. The only reason he'd come today was because he thought it was time to change _something_ , and yet, he caught himself daydreaming with the past. Again.

Damn it.

“Sasuke!”

Something bumps in his hips with enough force to almost make him drop everything he's holding. He knows who it is even before looking down at the blond mane.

“Sasuke!” Naruto grips his clothes tightly, babbling loudly, his expressions changing to match every sentence. “Sasuke! I was in the park almost every day looking for you but you weren't there, where have you been? Were you sick? I had a fever for a couple of days after the rain, and Dad said I would get grounded, but he made me hot chocolate with marshmallows instead. It was good! But where were you! Did you forget we had a sleepover? I think we need to exchange our numbers so we can call each other every day so it doesn't happen anymore.”

The boy’s ramblings are unnerving, if not a bit embarrassing. Still, Sasuke has to hold himself from laughing. He definitely prefers this cheerful Naruto instead of the depressed one he met a few weeks ago.

“I thought your father didn't allow the sleepover,” he says quickly when Naruto has to stop for a breath. “And do you even have a cellphone?”

“No, but I can ask Daddy to buy me one. Ino won one on her birthday, and mine is-- Sasuke! Come to my birthday tomorrow!” He grips Sasuke’s clothes even tighter, pulling him down. Sasuke can't do anything other than obey. “Please? I know it’s already tomorrow, but I didn’t have your phone! See? We need to exchange numbers so I can invite you before anyone else. But can you make it? Please?”

“Naruto, calm down,” comes Minato’s rich voice as he lifts his son up. “My apologies, Sasuke. He was so quiet with me in the other alley, I didn't even see him running away.” He's smiling at him as he says so, and Sasuke tries not to think about how much that man's blue eyes and rich voice occupied his thoughts for all those weeks since they met.

“It’s alright,” Sasuke says, cleaning the knee of his pants as he gets up.

“Dad, we need to buy tomatoes,” Naruto announces, jumping from his father’s lap.

“What? Why? You don't even like tomatoes.”

Naruto flushes a deep shade of red. He closes his fists and yells, “I do too!” He turns to Sasuke. “I do! I'll go get them.” The next second he is off to the tomatoes stand, yelling that they better watch how fast he gets those tomatoes. It attracts a few looks, some curious, some amused, others tetchy. But Naruto doesn't see it and Minato apparently doesn't mind, so Sasuke pretends he doesn't either.

“I’m really sorry about my son. Talking to other people was never a trouble for him, but he seems particularly fond of you.”

Sasuke turns to Minato. “It’s quite alright. It’s nice to see him less angry with you.”

“Yeah…” Minato laughs, a shade of red resembling that of Naruto’s tinging his cheeks. Sasuke cannot find how to call it other than adorable. “I should thank you. I thought a lot about what you said to me the other day. I… realized I was diving in my own grief. Still am, to tell the truth, but it doesn't give me the right to neglect my own son.”

“No, it doesn’t.” _And neither to neglect a job or coworkers_ , Sasuke thinks, but it is brushed off quickly.

“You think we should start again?” Minato lifts his hand. “Minato Namikaze, Naruto’s father and graphic designer in the spare time.”

Sasuke shakes his hand, perhaps a bit too tightly, relishing in the warmth just the touch of Minato’s hand brings him. “Sasuke Uchiha. Book editor.”

“Yeah, I wanted to tell you I’m a big fan of your brother’s work. I can't count the amount of times his books helped Kushina and me with our hyperactive son.” He smiles prettily at him, and Sasuke has to tune down the not so innocent thoughts invading his mind.

Thankfully, Naruto appears at their side before Sasuke embarrasses himself by stuttering like a middle schooler. “Sasuke! I got the tomatoes! I told you I was fast.”

Sasuke gazes at the plastic bag filled with tomatoes, very few actually looking edible. “You were fast, but quality counts more than speed, and you don't need that much. I'll teach you how to choose the best tomatoes in the stand.” He purposefully intones it like a question, eyeing Minato for his approval. When Minato nods, he picks his basket from the floor and turns around. “Come on.”

Naruto’s at his toe the next instant, and after a few moments, so is Minato. Sasuke feels his gaze on him while explaining to Naruto everything there is to know about a good tomato, from his shape to color and consistence. It doesn't feel uncomfortable, though, quite the opposite. Sasuke enjoys being under Minato's intense gaze. It just... feels good to be watched. By him, that is.

When the tomato tour is over, he finds himself craving for more of Minato’s attention, so he accompanies father and son in the checkline, ignoring the fact that he didn't exactly finish his own shopping. It’s a long wait and they talk a lot -- about their jobs, about Itachi’s books, about life and about Naruto -- and yet, it feels like time passed a little too fast.

In the parking lot, Naruto calls for Sasuke: “Ride in the back with me!” Which brings an uncomfortable feeling in the air. Minato tries to reason with him that Sasuke has his own home to go to, but Naruto starts a small tantrum in the middle of the parking lot.

Sasuke ends up being forced to promise solemnly, with pinkie and all, that he will be at Naruto’s party tomorrow.

“You promise?” Naruto asks one more time as Minato adjusts the seat belt around him.

“I promise.”

“The party starts at three.”

“I'll be sure to remember that.”

“Thank you,” Minato says as he closes the car door. “Once again. I know Naruto’s personality can be… overwhelming at times, especially when he’s trying to gain someone’s attention. He hadn't thrown a tantrum like that since he was four.”

“He’s a good kid.”

“He is.” Minato beams, looking up to the sky. “Did he tell you about this one time he stopped the traffic so that a family of ducks could pass by? He’s always bragging about that story.”

“No, he didn't.”

“He almost drove his mother crazy that day. Actually, he almost drove her crazy every day, and together they almost drove me crazy.” Minato laughs, the sound reaching deep inside Sasuke and making his heart jump. He realizes how close they are to each other, but Minato doesn't seem to mind. Sasuke certainly doesn’t. “I know he misses his mother, and I haven't been the best father in a while, but…”

“Itachi used to say that only time cures grieving. You must remember that you're also suffering as much as your kid, and even if you made mistakes, you've done no harm to him.”

“Yeah, I know.” Minato sighs, still beaming, although sadly. Sasuke can't decide what is more beautiful about him: his hair, his face, his eyes or his lips. “I mean, I've read his books. I know what he said about this kind of stuff. Still… I don't know how I'll…”

Minato looks down at his feet and a lock of hair falls in his eyes. Without thinking, Sasuke reaches for it and pushes it behind his ear. “You're gonna be fine,” he says, soothingly, satisfied when Minato closes his eyes for an instant, leaning slightly on Sasuke’s touch. “It’s easy to see how much you love your son.”

Something about his act, or maybe his voice -- something he just did wakes Minato from whatever trance he was in, and immediately he’s flabbergasted and stuttering. “I-I… I have to go. Get, uhm. Get the party ready.” He bolts to his car, exiting the parking lot in record time. Sasuke keeps staring at the vehicle, and when he notices Naruto waving to him, he realizes the kid probably watched everything.

He waves back, and then goes to his own car.

On his way home, he muses about the entire situation: so he is attracted to this really hot widower who is clearly still mourning and has no idea of how to deal with his hyperactive and also mourning son. And apparently, Sasuke is so head over heels for the guy it is even making him act completely out of character, and he's talking cheerfully to kids and trying to soothe strangers in pain.

Huh.

Ten years ago Sasuke would simply freak out silently in the privacy of his bedroom. But he’s not an angsty teenager anymore. Whatever he feels for Minato makes him feel good, and it was clear Minato felt, or at least is starting to feel the same way.

It’s been over a year since Sasuke felt genuinely good, and he’s greedy and selfish enough to want to relish on the sensation forever. And one of the things Itachi taught him when he was growing up was, “Whatever you want, Sasuke, fight for it.”

If he learned one thing today, is that an easy path to Minato’s heart is through Naruto’s affection, and he already has that advantage on his side.

On a red light, he grabs his cell, quickly searching through his contacts for the wisest person in terms of dealing with children that he’s ever known -- after Itachi, of course.

“Suigetsu,” he says when his friend and coworker picks up. “What would you buy for a hyperactive eight years old boy on his birthday?”

~*~

Honestly, Sasuke didn't expect so many people in the Namikaze household. There are children everywhere, laughing and running from the adults or from themselves. To enter, he has to skip over some baby dice with colorful letters. The most egocentric part of him expected Naruto on the entrance, waiting for him, but he is greeted by two girls instead.

“Hi,” the blonde one with heart-shaped barrettes on her hair says. “Are you the magician Naruto said was coming?”

“No.”

They exchange a look. The other girl, that somehow managed to dye her hair pink (or so he imagines; Karin used that exact shade on her hair for a while a few years ago), nudges her friend. “Show your cell to him.”

Quickly, the little blonde reaches into the pocket of her dress and grabs a tiny childish cellphone. “Mister, do you have a cellphone?”

“I do,” he answers, a bit unsure if he should have when the girls giggle.

“Yeah, but it is purple? Mine is. Look.”

There’s a moment of silence, in which Sasuke thinks kids these days are too focused on tech. Itachi only allowed him to have a phone at the age of fifteen, and only because he wanted to keep track of Sasuke’s steps. The girls keep looking at him expectantly, so he slowly provides, “It is very… cute,” as an answer.

The girls giggle. “Okay, then. Bye.” They walk away, giggling and blushing and glancing at Sasuke every few seconds.

“Those were Ino and Sakura.” Minato appears by his side. “Naruto’s classmates. They are very smart, but a little too precocious, as you probably noticed.”

“Shouldn't you have come to my aid before?” Sasuke scowls, but Minato’s laughter promptly melts it away.

“Are you kidding? Now that they've finally turned their eyes to somebody else?” He laughs even harder at Sasuke’s shocked look, then touches his elbow lightly. “Come. Let’s put your present with the others. Thank you for it, by the way. And then get you something to drink? No alcohol, unfortunately.”

Sasuke holds a grunt, not sure how he’s supposed to endure all the children’s noises without a bit of alcohol in his system.

“Don't be like that,” Minato says. “You didn't expect I'd allow alcohol in a child’s party, did you?”

“Did I say something out loud?”

“You didn't have to.” Minato guides him to an empty and messy kitchen, with pans, candies and decoration supplies all over the place. “And you aren't the first today to give me that look either. It’s just…” He stops in front of the fridge and sighs. “Well, call me paranoid, but I'm not going to trust adults I barely know with alcohol in a house full of children. Some people think it’s funny to let kids taste a sip of beer just to see their reaction.”

Sasuke leans on the counter, crossing his legs and arms. “You did trust a complete stranger into your son’s birthday party, though.” He smirks, not having missed Minato ogling him from head to toe. (Not that it wasn't expected; he did dress nicely on purpose.) He coughs after a few moments, just to see that lovely shade of pink tinging the blond’s face again.

Minato gasps, as if aware of what he was doing (and thinking). “Well.” He coughs. “Like I said, Naruto is pretty fond of you. I couldn’t just deny my son his first illustrious guest. Now, what would you like to drink?”

“Anything is fine.” Sasuke tilts his head a bit to better appreciate the view of Minato’s buttocks as he searches inside the fridge. When Minato turns to him with a bottle of soda, Sasuke’s gaze shifts upwards, only to find deep cerulean eyes staring back at him. Sasuke was never an overly romantic person, so he doesn't go all the way to say time stopped as soon as their eyes locked, but he does feel suddenly shy.

Or, not exactly shy, but… speechless?

He tries to think of something to say, to whisk the feeling away. Something like, ‘Your eyes are really beautiful’ or, ‘These khaki pants did wonderful to your ass’, but somehow it comes out as, “You can trust me.”

“I know I can.” Minato smiles, and Sasuke is instantly conscious of their proximity. Reach out just a little, and he has Minato’s hand in his. Just a step, and their chest are touching. “I may not seem like it, but I'm a pretty good judge of character.”

“Is that so?” Sasuke smiles, watching as Minato’s eyes fall from his eyes to his lips. He licks them slowly, satisfied when the blond leans closer. The warmth of his breath is invitation enough, so Sasuke leans in as well, just to have their lips barely touching before Minato pulls away at the sound of footsteps quickly approaching, interrupting the moment.

“Dad, are you in the kitchen? Where did you put-- Sasuke!” From the doorway, Naruto bolts to him and jumps directly on his crossed arms. “You came!”

“Naruto.” Minato sighs, encircling one arm on Naruto’s waist and lifting him up to Sasuke’s height. “How many times have I told you not to jump on people like that?”

“Sorry.” Naruto pouts, and in the next moment he's beaming wildly at Sasuke. “I have to show you something really cool!” He jumps from his father’s grip and holds tightly on Sasuke’s sleeve, tugging him. “Come on!”

He has no other choice but to follow.

Naruto takes him to the middle of what appears to be the living room. The couch and chairs have been dragged to the corner, giving enough space for the kids to play in the center. The seats are crowded with adults talking, looking bored or just watching the kids come in and out of a colorful tunnel. Sasuke remembers having the biggest of fun a long time ago with these, but right now, can't really remember why.

Minato appears by his side and hands him the soda. Together, they watch as Naruto hurriedly goes in and out of the tunnel, yelling for them to pay attention, if they saw how fast he was, clearly basking on the attention.

A children’s party, through a grown up’s point of view, is a curious mix of boring and adorable, with minions running and yelling at the four winds. Sasuke stopped asking for parties like this one shortly after his parents died -- not because of the depression, he simply didn't want them anymore. He has to share Minato’s company with other guests and engage in dull conversation. Those little girls, Ino and Sakura, keep approaching him, trying to gain his attention with random snacks. At some point, Naruto feels he has to intervene and tells them to stop because Sasuke doesn't like candy, and even if he did, they should just stop because he’s Naruto’s guest, anyway. (And a few minutes later he brought Sasuke a plate of sliced tomatoes.)

When the mothers call and the children gather around the cake for the Happy Birthday song, Naruto isn’t amongst them. Sasuke’s eyes scan the room and find him in a corner with his dad crouching in front of him, gesticulating as if trying to convince Naruto of something, which is blatantly refused. After a few minutes of this, Minato opens his arms and waits until Naruto clutches his neck to lift him up.

The lights go out and the childish song starts, but Naruto doesn't lift his head from his dad’s shoulder. Not even when Minato walks into the middle of the room or when some mothers come and kiss his head, trying to start some kind of conversation. Apparently deciding it’s enough, he jumps from his dad’s arms and runs upstairs. Some kids try to run after him, but their parents don't allow it.

It’s unnecessary to say that the party mood is ruined. Minato starts walking the guests to the exit a shortly after. On another example of how the man’s presence and Sasuke’s will to be by his side makes him act completely out of character, Sasuke offers to stay and help him clean out. Minato looks at him with surprise at first, and Sasuke thinks perhaps he’s being too pushy or shameless. But then Minato smiles and agrees, and Sasuke reminds himself that he always was shameless when it came to getting whatever he wanted, anyway.

“I already lost count of how many times I apologized on behalf of my son.” Minato laughs somewhat embarrassed, scratching the side of his neck.

“It’s alright.” He doesn't ask what all that was about. He remembers acting weird even years after his parents passed away, and half of the time he didn't even know why.

The house looks like a hurricane passed by, especially the kitchen and living room. Minato comes with two bottles of beer, and hands one to Sasuke.

“I thought you didn’t allow alcohol in your home?”

“I said I'm against irresponsible adults with beers next to children. Believe me, you'd be horrified with how many irresponsible parents are out there.” Something in the way Minato smiles makes his heart jump a few beats, and he has to look away and sip at his beer to prevent from saying something, or else it might come out sounding too perverted or sappy.

Between a few bottles of beer, a few check-ups on Naruto upstairs (in which they discover he fell asleep) and a pleasant conversation, they finish cleaning everything quickly.

“Thank you for your help, you really didn’t have to,” Minato says as they move to the couch, snacks and beers in hand. He turns the radio on a soft music station.

“No problem at all.” Sasuke looks directly at Minato’s eyes. “But I'm sure you've already realized I'm not that altruist.”

Minato chuckles, looking down at his hands. “Yeah, about that… I'm not sure if I should…” He trails off, shaking his head. “Did Naruto tell you today is also the first anniversary of his mother’s death?”

Sasuke freezes for a few seconds, but Minato doesn’t let him say anything.

“The doctors were saying she still had a few more months, that she would have a chance to live longer with the surgery. She even promised a special christmas party to Naruto then. She never gave up hope. But something went wrong in the surgery, and… She was in coma for two days, and then she passed away.”

“Minato…”

“I know the party didn’t have to be as extravagant as I made it be. I just didn't… I know I neglected my son for a long time after Kushina passed away, but I…” He exhales. “Sometimes I don't know what to do to keep Naruto from hurting. I just don't want him to remember his birthday as a sad date.”

Sasuke gently touches Minato’s hand, and their gazes meet. “I understand.”

Minato smiles. “I knew you would. Naruto told me of what happened to your parents. I’m really sorry, by the way.”

“Don’t be. It’s been a long time, and my brother was enough.”

Minato nods. He takes a sip of his beer, leaning his back on the couch, but not pulling his hand from Sasuke’s touch. He turns his palm upwards, entwining their fingers together. “I'm happy my son met you. He’s always so rattling, but his teachers had been sending notes, telling me he was becoming quieter each passing day. I took him out and everything, but it didn't seem to work. I didn't know what else to do. And then suddenly he was laughing and yelling and talking about sleepovers, and you were by his side. Just…” He squeezes Sasuke’s hand. “Thank you. Really.”

“Maybe you should thank me properly as we have dinner this week.”

Minato laughs. “I'm opening my heart to you and all you can think is going out with me? Don’t you think this is a bit inappropriate?”

“I never said I couldn't be inappropriate when I want to.” He smirks. “And you should be thankful that I'm settling for just a dinner. You have no idea how much I'm restraining myself from kissing you right now.”

That has Minato flushing and Sasuke chuckling, their hands still tightly together. “I don't know how I feel about going out with such a shameless person.”

“I think you like the idea.”

Minato looks down at their hands again, with a serious expression. “Sasuke, you do understand I'm a widower and a single parent, right? I mean, it’s been only one year. I can't be sure I'm ready to commit to somebody else right now. And even if--”

“Minato.” Sasuke cuts him, moving closer. He holds Minato’s chin gently, lifting his head so they can look each other in the eye. “I'm very aware of the position you are in right now. I’m not asking your hand in marriage, I'm just asking for a dinner. One date. And then we can see how things go from there.”

Then, because Sasuke is unable to restrain himself any longer, and because Minato is giving him this hopeful and embarrassed look, Sasuke closes his eyes and leans in. It’s a brief and chaste kiss, only lasting a few seconds. Still, is leaves both of them panting and blushing hard.

“You are quite demanding, aren't you?" Minato whispers, so close Sasuke can feel the warmth of his breath. "And impatient.” 

He smirks. “I just was taught to reach out for what I want, and I never wanted something as much as I want you. I can wait, though. If that’s what you want.”

“I just need to go slow, at least at first.” Minato grins and glues their foreheads together, closing his eyes. “What do you think of picking me up on Thursday?”

“Eight is fine?”

“Eight is fine.” Minato captures Sasuke’s lips on another kiss, just as chaste as the last one, but it lasts a little bit longer. They stay like this for a few minutes, kissing and listening to the soft songs playing, only their foreheads and hands touching.

Then, Naruto's whine upstairs breaks the mood. "Daddy!"

“I think I should go,” Sasuke says.

Minato nods. “He’s probably on a terrible mood. He hates sleeping during the day.” He walks Sasuke to the door.

After getting his coat, Sasuke turns around, touching the collar of Minato’s polo shirt lightly. Minato is a few inches taller than him, and Sasuke can already imagine tucking himself under the blond’s chin.

“Can I tell you something?” Sasuke asks.

“Sure.”

“It’s great that you are trying to erase Naruto’s pain and all, but… Don't go thinking it’s your responsibility to do that. It’s not something he'll ever be able to erase. He'll just have to learn how to live with it.”

He dislikes the hurt and worried look Minato gives him, but it’s better that way. Sasuke learned a long time ago that a harsh truth is always better than a gentle lie. The sooner the father understands it, the sooner his son will be able to truly recover.

He kisses Minato’s lips one more time, as chastely as before, and leaves.

From the car ride until he gets home to a nice bath, Sasuke keeps thinking what the hell he is doing. He just wooed a widower that has a kid into going on a date with him. And he already knows that, even if Minato tries to turn him down after Thursday, he won't accept it. Because it isn't just attraction anymore. Somehow, he fell in love with Minato.

Sasuke is in his bed, thinking about Minato, planning Thursday night and imagining what Itachi would say about all that, when the walkie talkie he put on his bedside table makes a noise.

“Hello?” Comes Naruto’s unsure voice. Sasuke smirks and grabs the toy.

“So, you opened my gift.”

“Sasuke! Dad, it’s Sasuke! Sasuke, can you hear me?” He yells the last part, and Sasuke is glad that he didn’t take Suigestu’s suggestion to buy earphones.

“I think cell phones aren't for your age yet, but this way you can contact me whenever you like. Happy birthday, Naruto.”

They talk for a while. Naruto is so impressed by the toy (as he should, since they are of the latest tech and Sasuke spent a lot on them) that he announces loudly how he'll take it to school, and to the zoo, and to everywhere he ever goes from now on, but his father immediately intervenes, setting rules of usage that ruin all his plans.

When Minato thinks Naruto already talked himself out, he orders him to say goodnight and confiscates the toy.

“Don't say you're sorry,” Sasuke warns before Minato can say anything. “I did it because I wanted to.”

“I think you’re gonna regret it.” Minato sighs on the other side of the line. “How much did you spend on this, anyway?”

“Don’t worry about that. Why don’t you take it to your room and talk dirty to me?” It’s worth saying that just for hearing Minato choking.

“You. Are. Shameless!”

Sasuke laughs. “Not very often. It’s you that makes me act unlike myself.”

“I’ll pretend I believe you.”

“Good. I’ll pretend you’re lying with me in my bed, then.”

Minato snorts. There’s a moment of silence, and then he sighs loudly. “Sasuke?”

“Yeah?”

“I thought about what you said earlier. That I'll never ease Naruto’s pain. The rational part of me understands it, but. I still don’t want to accept it. You know what I mean?”

“I do. It’s okay to feel that way. It’s just… the way things are. No one will ever be able to replace Naruto’s mom in his heart, just like I’ll never be able to replace your wife in yours.”

Minato sounds out of breath. “You are… so young, and so wise.”

Sasuke snorts, shaking his head, even though Minato can’t see it. “Half of the time I’m just paraphrasing Itachi. The other half is just my own experience.”

Another pause for silence.

“Can I tell you something?” Minato asks.

“Anything."

“Kushina was the only woman I ever loved. I'm afraid I'll never be able to love anyone as much as I loved her.”

Sasuke thinks for a while, letting the words sink in. It’s more than a confession, it’s a warning. Minato is giving him the last chance of backing away, of preventing himself from being hurt. But it’s not like Sasuke has never been hurt before. And he knows, whenever he closes his eyes and all he can see is Minato’s soft eyes and beautiful smile, that even if he ends up getting hurt in this whole thing, it will still be better than not venturing on that road at all.

He tries to voice his thoughts, but all it comes out is, “I still want you.”

Minato sighs, and when he talks again Sasuke can hear the smile in his voice. “I never thought I'd ever feel alive again.”

Sasuke smiles. “Me too.”

There is silence again, for a long time, but it isn't uncomfortable or heavy. It’s like sitting next to someone and not having to say anything to be understood, only they aren't close enough to touch.

“I have to go tuck Naruto in,” Minato finally says.

“Alright. I'll see you Thursday.”

“Goodnight, Sasuke.”

Sasuke places the walkie talkie back on the bedside table. He turns around on his bed, looking out the window, unsure of what he’s thinking, or what he’s supposed to think. The words he said couldn't be more true. He wants Minato. Not just sexually, not just as a friends either. He wants to spend more time with him, and learn everything there is to learn about his life and his personality. He wants the kisses and the smiles and the caresses. He wants the looks, and he want it all only for himself.

He just wants Minato, in the purest sense of the word.

~*~

Sasuke starts to regret giving Naruto the walkie talkies only a few days later, when he understands the kid simply won't stop calling him. Thankfully, Minato forbade him to take the toy to school, but that only means half of the day. It’s not that Sasuke dislikes him, quite the contrary: he never felt so much sympathy for a child before. But the boy sure knows how to be irritating when he wants.

“Suigetsu,” he calls from his desk.

On the other side of the room, Suigetsu turns around on his chair. “What.”

“Fuck you.”

Suigetsu snorts. “You can't just have the hottest blond in the face of the earth in a plate. The universe just wouldn’t allow it.” He smirks. “So just accept the payment and endure the needy kid, will you?”

Sasuke’s eyes narrow. “You planned this.” Suigetsu shrugs. Sasuke gives him the middle finger.

“Sasuke.” Karin enters the room, carrying a pile of manuscripts. “I’ve found the next best fantasy books of the year. No, of the decade!” She dumps the manuscripts on his desk, uncaring for whatever document he might be reading. “Read it. The trilogy one is gonna set us good.”

“You said that last time.”

Karin raises an eyebrow. “And was I wrong?”

Sasuke huffs, but takes one of the manuscripts from the table. Karin always had the eye for fantasy books. He trusts her judgement. “I’ll read it. Go away.”

“You better!” she yells, angry. Then, her expression softens to that one she uses when she’s being a protective mother with him. “It’s good to have you back.”

Sasuke stares at her for a few moments, without really knowing what to say. Luckily, Naruto’s voice fills the room before the scene gets too awkward. “Sasuke?”

“Excuse me,” he says to Karin, “I have an important call.” He grabs the walkie talkie and turns his chair around. When Suigetsu starts laughing because Naruto is telling all about his collection of plush foxes _yet again_ , Sasuke throws a penholder at his head.

~*~

Their first date is great. So is the second, and the third, and the ones after, and Sasuke sincerely can't think of any reason why this wouldn't work.

But it’s not like everything goes smoothly, either. Minato shows some trouble into getting intimate, even though he clearly is attracted to Sasuke. It took a short time for Sasuke to realize how insecure Minato can be, especially when it comes to their intimacy. He apologizes a lot, so Sasuke tries to be patient, even if it means he has to repeat over and over again that it’s okay.

However, Minato is also very calm and understanding. He knows how to deal with Sasuke's mood swings. That side of him really helped Sasuke with all the stress of returning to work. He's also an aspiring writer, Sasuke discovered on their first date. He even started writing a short children's book when Kushina was sick, a story about a fox and a sunflower. "It's crap," Sasuke said when he read it for the first time, "but I can help you make it better."

A couple of months after their first date, Sasuke wakes up in the middle of the night. Minato is still asleep by his side. They got used to spending the night together from the very beginning, even when Minato still didn’t trust him enough for sex. Upon hearing a noise somewhere in the house, Sasuke gets up to investigate, only to find Naruto hidden in the balcony with a pot of ice cream, even though it’s freezing outside.

“I thought your father had forbidden ice creams for two weeks.”

Naruto snickers and puts a finger in front of his mouth, signaling for silence. Sasuke sighs, but seeing this is a lost battle, settles for making him company. He sits on a chair, and it doesn't take long for Naruto to ask if he can sit on his lap.

“Sasuke?” Naruto asks after a while, after he finished his ice cream and they're immersed on a comfortable silence, Naruto’s head resting on Sasuke’s chest.

“Hm?”

“Are you-- I mean,” he starts, unsure. “I know that my mom won't ever come back again and all, but. I mean, are you… gonna be, like, something like my new mom?”

“No. Nobody can be your mom. She’s irreplaceable.” Sasuke waits a few seconds. “It doesn't mean I don't want to take care of you and your father as much as she did, though.”

“It means you’re gonna stay, right?”

“For as long as your father lets me.” He chuckles when Naruto almost suffocates him with a hug. “I think it’s time you go to bed now. And stay there.”

Naruto pouts a little, but accepts being tucked in after a glass of warm milk.

He goes into Minato’s bedroom again, but instead of finding his lover sleeping, finds him in the room’s balcony, watching the dark sky. Sasuke stays there, leaning on the closed door, until Minato beckons him. As soon as Sasuke is within reach, Minato grabs him and envelopes him with his own robe.

“I know you don't like the cold,” he says at Sasuke’s questioning expression, hugging him tightly. “He was eating ice cream, wasn't he?”

“Yes.” Sasuke closes his eyes when Minato kisses his neck.

“Hm.” Minato hugs him even tighter when Sasuke shivers, even though he’s not shivering because of the cold. “I was watching you two from here. You're great with kids, you know?”

“I'm not,” Sasuke half says, half moans, Minato’s touches becoming less chaste.

“You are.” He nibbles Sasuke’s ear and whispers, “At least with my kid you're great, and that’s what matters to me.”

Sasuke doesn't contest; Minato kisses him before he’s able to do so. It’s nowhere near the chaste kisses they exchanged in the beginning. This one is hot, wet, full of need and passion. It sends Sasuke somewhere so good he doesn't even know how to call it.

“Sasuke,” Minato whispers, panting.

“Yeah?” Sasuke rests his head on Minato’s chest, hearing his accelerated heartbeat.

“I…” he starts, but his voice falters, so Sasuke places a finger on his lips.

“You don't have to say it.”

“But--”

“I only want to hear it when you're completely sure and ready."

Minato closes his eyes as Sasuke caresses his cheek, leaning into the touch. “Your hands are cold,” he whispers, grabbing Sasuke’s hands reverently.

“You should warm them.”

Minato hums, agreeing. He kisses Sasuke’s knuckles, one by one, and then pulls him back inside the room. “Come lay down with me.”

Throughout the night, Sasuke feels like he's lost in paradise. Minato whispers in his ear as he touches him, softly, hard, quick and slow, as they learn everything about each other in the most intimate of ways. They've both been hurt so much in the past, but just being in Minato's arms, by his side, brings Sasuke a soothing sense of peace. He loves that man, and he knows that, with enough patience and care, they'll learn to cope and move on. They'll be able to heal and find true happiness, together.

That's what love is all about, Itachi taught him, a long time ago.


End file.
